Cigar



7 Nov. 24, 1959 E. M. sTRAus CIGAR Filed Jan. 23, 1956' INVENTOR,

EVERET M. STRAUS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 7 CIGAR,

Application January 23, 1956, Serial No. 560,791 2 Claims.- (Cl. 131-11) This invention relates to smoking devices and more particularly to cigars.

Cigars of conventional construction have the objection that they tend to break down or become chewed on the month end during smoking. Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide a cigar construction having a reinforced mouth end portion.

Another object of this invention is to reinforce the heavy binder leaf with a band or strip of reinforcing material at the month end of the cigar.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a reinforcing strip of the type described in the preceding paragraph which is not only strong and tough, but which is also nontoxic, flexible, odorless and tasteless.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view partly in section showing a cigar constructed according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22, on Figure 1.

Figure 3 is similar to Figure 2 but shows a modification.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, and especially to Figures 1 and 2, the cigar includes the customary heavy binder leaf which is spirally rolled into tubular shape to provide the two convolutions 12 and 14. A tobacco filler 16 is disposed within the tubular binder leaf 10 from end to end. A relatively light tobacco leaf wrapper 18 is also rolled into tubular shape and surrounds the binder leaf. v

The binder leaf 10 is relatively heavy as compared with the tobacco leaf wrapper 18, that is, it is thicker and tougher. The binder leaf due to its greater strength is the primary means for retaining the shape of the cigar and the relatively lighter leaf wrapper 18 is provided not so much for its strength as for its provision of a finished appearance.

The binder leaf 10 is in the form of a natural tobacco leaf, that is, it consists of one hundred percent (100%) tobacco leaf.

In order to reinforce the mouth end of the cigar to prevent it from becoming broken or chewed during smoking, a reinforcing strip 20 is provided. The reinforcing strip is spirally rolled to provide two convolutions, the convolutions of the reinforcing strip respectively disposed within the convolutions of the binder leaf as shown in Figure 2.

The reinforcing strip is flexible and formed of a plastic material which is nontoxic, flexible, odorless and tasteless. Suitable materials for this purpose are Teflon, saran, polyethylene, nylon, and plasticized polyvinyl acetate, these being thermoplastic.

The reinforcing strip is secured to the binder leaf by a suitable adhesive 21. Any suitable nontoxic, flexible, odorless and tasteless adhesive is suitable for this purpose. One such adhesive which has been found to be highly effective is polyvinyl acetate which is applied between the 2,914,071 Patented Nov. 24, 71959 convolutions or layers of binder leaf and reinforcing strip by applying it liquified in ethyl alcohol and water. As seen in Fig. 2, the adhesive 21 is applied to opposite sides of the reinforcing strip where the strip is sandwiched between convolutions of the binder leaf so that the opposite sides of this portion of the strip are adhered to the oven lying convolutions of the binder leaf. Liquifled nylon (liquified in ethyl alcohol andwater) is-also highly effective asan adhesive. I

- In the Figure 2 construction, the adhesive may be omitted. and the plastic reinforcing strip sealed directly to the binder leaf. In the case of thermoplastic reinforcing strips, such may be heat-sealed to the binder leaf by heating it sufiiciently to the required temperature.

Figure 3 illustrates a modification in which corresponding parts bear the same reference characters. The cigar construction shown in Figure 3 is generally similar to that of Figure 2. However, the binder leaf in the Figure 3 construction is a synthetic binder leaf. This synthetic binder leaf, indicated at 30, comprises finely chopped tobacco held together in a compact mass by a suitable plastic binder material. Usually the plastic is basically cellulosic and, of course, it must be such that it will consume during smoking. In the present instance, the binder material is the acetyl-ester of cellulose. This synthetic binder leaf is less expensive than the best natural tobacco binder leaf, but it is not, in some cases, as strong and, hence, the problem of reinforcement is often more critical in the construction of cigars having a synthetic binder leaf.

The reinforcing strip 20 is the same as that employed in the Figure 2 construction and likewise is spirally wound, being disposed within the respective convolutions of the rolled synthetic binder leaf 30.

In the Figure 3 construction, the synthetic binder leaf is sealed directly to the reinforcing strip. A heat-seal may be employed if either the reinforcing strip or the synthetic binder leaf is thermosplastic. Except for the differences noted, the Figure 3 construction is like the construction of Figures 1 and 2.

In the Figure 3 construction, instead of fusing the synthetic binder leaf to the reinforcing strip, an adhesive may be employed. Any of the adhesives 21, described above, are suitable. Such an adhesive may be applied between the convolutions or layers of binder leaf and reinforcing strip by applying it liquified in ethyl alcohol and water. In other words, as in the Fig, 2 embodiment, the adhesive is applied to opposite sides of the reinforcing strip where it is sandwiched between convolutions of the binder leaf so that the opposite sides of this portion of the strip are adhered to the binder leaf. Liquifled nylon (liquified in ethyl alcohol and water) is also highly effective as an adhesive.

The reinforcing strip as thus constructed and arranged and secured to either the natural tobacco binder leaf or the synthetic binder leaf insures that the mouth end of the cigar will be sufliciently resistant to chewing, that in the ordinary course of smoking the cigar will not break down at the month end and, at the same time, will retain its normal degree of softness.

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved cigar in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A cigar comprising a relatively heavy binder leaf spirally rolled to tubular shape to provide at least two convolutions at the mouth end of the cigar, said binder leaf comprising chopped tobacco held together by a leaf, a spirally rolled flexible reinforcing strip of nontoxic, odorless and tasteless plastic material having at least two convolutions, said reinforcing strip being narrow relative to said binder leaf and the convolutions of said reinforcing strip being disposed within the respective convolutions of said binder leaf at the month end only of said cigar to be completely covered by said binder leaf, a flexible, nontoxic, odorless and tasteless adhesive between and completely covering all opposed surfaces of the convolutions of said binder leaf and reinforcing strip securing the same together, and a relatively light tobacco leaf wrapper rolled to tubular shape and completely surrounding and enveloping said binder leaf and reinforcing strip.

2. A cigar as defined in claim 1 in which the plastic binder in said binder leaf is the acetyl-ester of cellulose and in which said adhesive contains polyvinyl acetate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 297,409 Kaufmann Apr. 22, 1884 596,657 Feder Jan. 4, 1898 663,073 1900 931,582 Drucklieb Aug. 17, 1909 1,969,834 Berrirnan Aug. 14, 1934 2,149,896 McArdle Mar. 7, 1939 2,357,392 Francis Sept. 5, 1944 2,613,672 Sartoretto et a1. Oct. 14, 1952 15 2,707,472 Iurgensen et a1. May 3, 1955 

